I have enjoyed each and every one of the more than 250 different articles I have written about Liberace. Lee has been a true inspiration in my life and I will forever carry with me the fascinating lessons learned in researching his great American story. It has been wonderful to meet so many of his friends I have the privilege to call my own. I will always be committed to preserving his great legacy.

Notable among Lee’s friend it was my privilege to work for his friend Steve Rossi who was not only a legendary Las Vegas entertainer in his own right, he was also in the same Hollywood television coaching classes with Lee before they both hit it big. Steve was in Mae West’s revue and Lee was her dear friend. I worked for Steve on many of his projects and had the honor of assisting his family in his final days to his memorial service in June 2014.

I made the decision to run for office because as Lee did I believe in an America for all. I am standing up for education policies that are not one size fits all. Had common core been around when Lee was a little boy he would have been labeled a failure and pushed into remediation. Lee was a genius – just not one that would be quantified on a standardized test. I don’t believe future generations of talent need to be stifled.

Today we live in an age of equality for all. I support marriage equality and could not in clear conscience live in a district represented by someone who votes in elected office against this value I hold true. May no future generation endure the discrimination which limited choices available to Lee to balance his private and professional life.

Throughout my life I am always meeting new people and make new connections to Lee. I plan to be back after the election to resume writing. I carry a little of Lee’s spirit with me walking and knocking on doors in my district by wearing sequin and rhinestone deck shoes. At least once a day someone notices my shoes and has to drag me in their house to see their Liberace treasures. Lee really is everywhere. Liberace fans are hilarious, kind, and always the first to compliment talent.

So if you are interested check out my campaign for office. If you are in Las Vegas come on out to one of my events. May you always hold the joy of Liberace in your heart!

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As readers of this blog over the last 4 years know I am a committed community activist concerned about the issues that impact our families. When I first started writing this blog our families were struggling through the great recession, and many continue to make a slow recovery.

I have researched the issues and done my best to encourage us all to enter public comment when possible on the issues. Over the years I found that education in Nevada had become a game of “GOTCHA” politics where even those of us watching it closely were surprised by the changes made to our education system so swiftly. Unfortunately we always have had money for programs to serve corporations in their goal to make money off of our kids rather than actually listen to parents, students, and experienced classroom teachers about what will actually work for our students.

I attended hearings on education reform disappointed to see that these meetings were filled with special interest lobbyists at times when classroom teachers and parents busy working their jobs and raising their families never could make it to participate. The methods online to share your input are convoluted and not user friendly. Nor were lawmakers actively seeking those who would take exception to these new policies to have their voices heard. Few if any keep a blog or manage a website dedicated to constituent outreach to keep concerned citizens in the loop on important legislation that will later affect the lives of citizens.

Then I followed the money. I was disappointed to see that the same group of lobbyists have paid off both political parties to push through this agenda.

I got mad. First I tried to find a candidate to run for office. Few people want to speak truth to power no matter how committed they are to the principle because it is tremendously time consuming and for an inexperienced candidate it is both an expensive and daunting task. Given my experience operating grassroots campaigns and social media I had no other choice than to look in the mirror.

Don’t for a second pass off my candidacy as a politically naive homemaker doing this as a hobby. I have political experience and knew what this race would entail – and I did it anyway. Yes, my opponent is a prolific fundraiser and will outspend my campaign on nasty photoshopped pictures of me. He will pull out some vague half truth and try to run with it. That’s politics. What I can offer is that I will be an active force in the community my opponent had his opportunity to be his one session in office and passed on it.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about my campaign. I am not a single issue candidate. Education however was the final draw that made me file for this election cycle. I am well versed on all of the legislative issues which is why I have held my own and earned the endorsement of several community organizations.

What I will do different is to fully engage the community as I have done on every cause I have worked on. I know that parents have the right to speak up and I will bring forward hearings in our own district to make this happen. Our district is impacted by many issues that have outreach events done by legislators on the other side of town – but never in our district. That has to change.

If you are big enough to do it – Be big enough to own it. I will own my position as your next Assemblywoman with job number one to be a voice for our families. The economy is coming back and its important that our views be at the table to ensure the budget cuts to essential services are restored before corporate special interests get new tax breaks.

I am not the candidate hand picked by the political establishment to keep the status quo rolling of finger pointing and kicking the can down the road. I don’t owe any political favors. My job will be to represent the people of the assembly district I call home in the far northwest Nevada assembly district 13.

It was a cloudy spring day in 1985 when sunshine suddenly brightened the WPIX studio with the presence of the incomparable Liberace. His warm smile showcased teeth as white as the keys on the piano. Wearing a cream-colored striped suit, pale-blue shirt and sky-blue tie and jewel-encrusted rings on both hands, he charmed everyone in sight.

He greeted me like we were old friends as we discussed the interview we were going to do live in the “Spotlight” segment of Independent Network News Midday Edition, which I co-anchored with the former first lady of New York Donna Hanover.

Though outwardly flamboyant, this mega star was more reserved and humble as we spoke one-on-one prior to the interview. While I had questions for him, he wanted to know about me, where I was from and how long I had been in the news business. He seemed genuinely interested.

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When Liberace passed away his personal physician Dr. Ron Daniels fought to have his cause of death listed primarily as encephalitic emphysema which Lee clearly suffered from in addition to AIDS. Absent the emphysema he would have survived even back then with an AIDS diagnosis and not succumbed in the manner he did from pneumonia complicated by the pre-existing emphysema.

From my article about the grandstanding of the Riverside County coroner making Lee’s passing an epic tabloid event it was not left to the judgement of his doctor to report for his official death certificate the cause of death. Then to add insult to injury Lee’s personal physician was prosecuted for reporting emphysema as the cause of death. Enter William Ginsburg who defended Dr. Ron Daniels.

William Ginsburg defended Dr. Ron Daniels on the basis that the disease of AIDS was little understood at that time and other diseases were present at the time of death. Read about the trial here.

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Quick and Easy Instructions on How to Contact Post Office

Here are the quick and simple instructions on how to get Liberace honored on a postage stamp by contacting the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee.
To get Lee on a stamp - it will take a stamp! The stamp committee does not accept email, electronic petitions, or any form of non-mail communication.
The official address to send this request to including why you believe Liberace should be honored with a stamp goes to:

There is another option that will get your message in the hands of the USPS for just $1.00.Easy letter sender which is linked from USPS will take your message, print it out, put it in an envelope, put on postage, and mail it for you - for just $1.00.

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